Sex and violence

So I was mucking about on r/books and I found this interview with the author of the Lemony Snicket series. Apparently, the guy is going to publish a book about a sex-obsessed teenage boy, and it’ll be published in August of this year.

In it, there is the obligatory “how do you feel about your young readers accidentally picking up this sexy book” question and the obligatory “like, omigod why are people freaking out over sex when violence is so much worse?” answer.

Yes, violence is horrible and definitely not for kids, but sex isn’t for children either. I am sick and tired of seeing this idiotic argument from authors (and others).

Over the duration of writing my first novel (tentatively titled Nemesis), I’ve wrestled with the amount of sex and sex abuse in the story. Is it too graphic? Is it too over the top? Is it gratuitous? Is it cringey? I was originally going to publish it and market it as YA, but I don’t think I can anymore. Maybe New Adult, or something. But it’s pretty raw, and I would never, ever in a million years hand over my novel to a twelve year old kid. No, no, no, no, NO.

It’s a shame and a tragedy that our society is becoming increasingly numb to acts of violence. This recent incident of the schizophrenic white teenager being kidnapped and tortured by four black people is proof of that. There’s great swaths of our society that thinks this shit is just badass and/or hilarious.

The same goes for sex. Back when I was twelve, I wouldn’t have ever entertained the thought of having sex with anyone. Now it’s common place for tweens to have sex. At least, that’s the impression I get. There’s certainly a lot of people who think there’s nothing wrong with someone that young being sexually active.

Here is the difference between violence and sex. Violence is objectively wrong. Hardly anybody will disagree with that, except for sociopaths. But sex is more complex. It is a vital part of our beings, of ourselves. We wouldn’t be here without it. Sex is important. It’s not something to be taken lightly, and yet our sex-obsessed society treats it as if it’s just nothing. As if it’s no more significant than going clubbing or playing a game of catch in your backyard.

Movies, TV shows and books often glamorize promiscuity and casual sex. That’s done a lot of harm in our society. STDs, single motherhood (which leads to a lot of other issues), broken families (ditto), depression, etc.

Did it ever occur to these people that some people feel differently about kids and sex? They just seem so horrified that anyone would be concerned about their nine year old reading about some guy who can’t keep it in his pants. And did it occur to them that one can be concerned about both sex and violence?

I think this is part and parcel of the progressive’s plan to eventually normalize pedophilia. As I’ve noted previously, they’re already working on it. This stupid faux outrage will continue, and people like me will be vilified for being concerned about it.